The effort is called Let's Build Our Timeline Together and builds on the Facebook presence the company established in April. The page has almost 35,000 likes as of July 3, and the new timeline The page draws from photos visitors upload, and includes mini-bios that tell readers how long the patients have been living with diabetes. The result is a page that weaves specific moments – like a six-year-old's day at the zoo -- with practical information like “Avoid potential exposure to strong magnetic fields on roller coasters, remove your insulin pump and put it in a safe place.”

Amanda Sheldon, director of PR and social communication at the diabetes business unit of Medtronic, told MM&M that the "patient stories" part evolved because patients pounced at the chance to connect.

“Our community really loves to share their stories and their photos and what is going on in their lives, and they started this from the day we launched our page,” she said.

Medtronic posts about 1-2 items per day, and the page blends the other elements of its social outreach – which includes YouTube, Twitter and a blog into once space, but with that added personal touch. Whereas patients may visit the Twitter feed for more customer service and support information or YouTube for helpful videos, the Facebook touchpoint embraces a greater variety of tonality and information.

Sheldon noted that the page also makes the company's history about more than insulin pumps, and more about “their ability to do live full lives, healthy lives,” she said.